Readers:
Dr. Randall Hansen, a nationally recognized career expert, is the Career Doctor.
Discover more about Dr. Hansen, read about the purpose of this column,
and find previous issues of this column at the home of The Career Doctor.
If you have any college, career, or job-related questions or comments that Dr. Hansen could
provide valuable assistance with, please
feel free to email him at: careerdr@quintcareers.com.
Dr. Hansen writes this column on a biweekly basis.
Anonymous writes:
I am lost. I have no clue what type of jobs are out there for me. All I
know is these few things about myself: I am a natural-born leader, I
love working with people, and I love watching something work for me.
I am currently half way through college, but still haven't decided what
is right for me. I went after Business Administration and then thought
that it wasn't for me. I would like to know what jobs are "hot" by 2005,
when I graduate. I am afraid of getting into a career that I feel I will regret.
Please help.
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
First things first. Relax! Here are some things to keep in the back of your
mind as you contemplate your future. The degree is the most important
thing, so while it would be helpful to get it exactly in your future career
field, your major is not as important as the degree itself. And no matter
what career you enter upon graduating from college, you can change it
any time you like - and if you are like most people, you will end up
changing your career field many times over the course of your life.
Many new college grads sort of stumble out of college into a job/career
that they find is not what they wanted or expected -- and they simply
move on.
It’s great that you have already identified your skills and passions -- it’s
the first step toward identifying potential careers. And certainly from your
description, a career in business makes sense.
It’s also important to look at forecasts of jobs/careers that are going to be in
demand, but keep in mind that it’s more important to find a fit with a job and
career path that matches your skills and interests.
So, I recommend talking with some recent alums about their jobs, talking
with your professors, and visiting the career services office at your school.
All three of these sources should give you some good ideas about careers.
And if you really do want to read about hot and growing career fields, you
can look online to the U.S. Department of Labor’s
Bureau of Labor
Statistics -- in the section titled “Tomorrow’s Jobs” --
or go to your library and read a book such as,
The
Unofficial Guide to Hot Careers.
Some Quintessential Careers resources that will be useful for you:
Gail writes:
My question is how and where on my resume could I let employers
know I'm looking for 24-32 hours a week. How should I word this?
Should I put this in my objective?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
Ready for a bad answer? It depends.
OK. Let me explain. If you are responding to job postings or online job
ads that request part-time workers, then there is no need to even have
it listed on your resume because employers will assume if you are
applying for a part-time position that you are actually seeking part-time
employment.
However, if you are sending out cover letter and resume packages to a
variety of employers - what we refer to as the cold calling method -- then
you must say somewhere that you are looking for part-time rather than
full-time employment. I have a personal preference for putting it only in
your cover letter, but you could also add it your job objective section of
your resume: “To contribute extensive experience, training, and skills
in a part-time project-management position.”
Speaking of objectives on resumes, did you know a recent survey of
hiring managers found that about 40 percent preferred resumes with job
objectives on them? If you decide to include one on your resume, just be
sure that it focuses on the contribution you can make to the potential
employer rather than a self-serving one (which is more typical of the
objectives I see).
I recommend that job-seekers use either (and sometimes both) a job
objective or a qualifications summary; if done correctly, both of these
sections serve as a short-cut for enticing hiring managers to make the
decision to continue reading your resume. A warning, though: If done
incorrectly, these sections could also stop your resume from being read.
Also, review all the Resume
Resources (including articles, tools, and tutorials) published on Quintessential Careers.
Q:
Fiona writes:
I read the section on informational interviewing on your Website and
found it very helpful but I just have one question. What if the person
you want to interview is in another state or city and you can't meet
them in person? What if they are usually very busy. Would it be
alright to interview them for information using email? Say have a
questionnaire for them to answer? Or would they just read it and
chuck it out because it is too impersonal? Help.
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
Informational interviews are a great way to learn more about a career
field AND build your network of contacts. What is an informational
interview? It’s interviewing designed to produce information. What
kind of information? The information you need to choose or refine
a career path, learn how to break in and find out if you have what it
takes to succeed. It's the process of spending time with one of your
network contacts in a highly focused conversation that provides you
with key information you need to launch or boost your career.
The preferred method - the method where you get the best information
and the strongest possible connection with the person you are
interviewing -- is through face-to-face interviews. However, that
should not stop any job-seeker who is relocating and wants to
build a new network of contacts in a distant location. As you
mention, job-seekers can also conduct informational interviews
by phone or e-mail.
The best strategy for you is to contact the person and ask his/her
preferred method of contact. A phone conversation will be more
dynamic (and expensive), but you might actually get more detail
by e-mail. Sending a list of questions - only AFTER the person
agrees to the informational interview - is acceptable, but remember
to keep the list fairly short. Most people are willing to take the time
to help out job-seekers, but not if it looks like it will take a huge
chunk of their time.
Finally, ALWAYS remember to thank each person you interview.
Shreena writes:
I am applying for a summer undergraduate work placement in a
large company of opticians. One of the questions of the application
forms is as follows: Provide details of key achievements in your
current role including facts and figures and performance targets to
indicate the business outcome that resulted.
Do I need to write about my role as a student at university? There is
no real business outcome that results from being a student.
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
Thank you so much for asking this question. Everyone reading
this column who knows a college student should be sure that
s/he reads my answer.
Most college students should leave college with two types of
experience: actual work experience gained through internships
and part-time jobs and practical experience gained through
class projects and papers.
When writing their resume, most students don’t have too hard
a time describing work experience, but one of the most
common errors I see is that students often discount those
class projects.
As the application states, the company is looking for your key
achievements/accomplishments to date. If you have previous
work experiences, list those along with their outcomes. But
don’t forget about those class projects.
For example, in the B-School at Stetson, many major courses
require completing a project, often with a real client. For example,
in a marketing research class, students might work with a local
business in uncovering a problem and suggesting solutions.
When describing those student experiences, remember the same
rules that apply to describing your work experiences: always try to
quantify your descriptions, focus on outcomes and project objectives.
A sample explanation of a student project:
Market Research Project for DeLand Electronics
Developed detailed SWOT Analysis
Assisted in writing survey questionnaire
Managed survey mail-out to 1,000 residents
Compiled strategic solutions based on survey results
